Brad Takes Dubai!

I am very lucky to have the opportunity to travel to so many amazing destinations for work! Dubai was no exception. It was mind blowing! When Kate Spade New York told me that we would be going to Dubai to celebrate the opening of two stores there, I was so thrilled -- Dubai has been a place that I have wanted to visit for quite some time. There was something mysterious about Dubai that I wanted to see for myself so I could draw my own conclusions.

When you travel there as a tourist, everyone makes such a big deal about all of the rules and codes of conduct you have to know about, so I was a little freaked out going there after hearing all of the things that you could do and not do, wear and not wear, and so on and so forth. Arming yourself with knowledge on the rules of the place you are visiting is important, since you want to make sure that you are respecting the culture you are visiting, and naturally I wanted to make sure that I was doing so.

After a very long flight from New York, I landed in Dubai where it was very hot and VERY futuristic looking. As I said in this week's episode, I felt as if I had landed on another planet. I have never seen a city that looked like this before, especially not one in the middle of the desert! Well, maybe Las Vegas, but they are very different.

In order to get into the spirit of Dubai, we decided to go out to the desert for a camel safari to watch the sunset. It was one of the most magical experiences I have ever had. There was a stillness and a calm out there, mixed with a slight breeze, beautiful texture on the sand, and incredible colors in the sky as the sunset. We couldn't believe what we were seeing! It made the long journey so well worth it, and we had only just begun our adventure.

One of the highlights of the trip was being invited into fashion blogger Tala Samman's home to fit her for the Kate Spade New York Party. She was so lovely and beautiful! Thank you to her and her mother, Lina, for opening their home to me, Kate Spade, and my film crew. It was fantastic getting to speak to Tala about Dubai and it's relation to fashion! It was very interesting and cleared up a lot of questions I had about the culture and all of the rules that everyone was talking about. She made me realize that no matter where you are in the world, we are all linked together by a common thread. It is amazing to me that the thing that brought us together was our love of fashion, rules or no rules -- to me, that is the power of fashion! Make sure you check out her blog, myfashdiary.com. After many fittings, it was time to party! What a party it was! All of the VIPS looked so chic, as did the models. The space was packed with the who's who of Dubai. We danced the night away and frolicked in the ball pit. Everyone in Dubai was talking about Kate Spade New York! They do have a knack for leaving a lasting impression.

I loved my time in Dubai. I cannot wait to go back and visit the friends I made there as well as explore more of this fascinating and enchanting city!